More
Conflicting Bible Texts
Eternal
Hell (Continued)
Baptism
of the Dead
Who
Went to Heaven?
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Last month we
examined a few Bible verses used to
support the idea of an eternally
burning hell. This month we will
consider a few more verses on this
topic before moving on to other
conflicts. To begin this study,
please consider a critical point. The
Bible is like the human body in that
both have many different systems
operating in perfect harmony. Many
specialties in medicine exist today
because each system of the body is
complicated. The Bible also has many
complicated topics. A wise physician
knows that every system in the body
is related to all of the other
systems. No system can be treated or
isolated without affecting the
others. Similarly, wise Bible
students know that if only certain
Bible verses are used or isolated
from the other Bible topics the
result will be internal conflict.
The topic of
eternal reward is complex and this
leads to diversity and confusion. I
like to think of eternal reward as an
umbrella topic because it includes
many sub-topics such as God’s
character, justice, mercy, grace and
law, His judgment of mankind,
man’s fallen nature, the state
of man in death, the atonement
provided by Jesus, the rescue of
God’s people, and the
annihilation of the wicked. So, no
position on eternal reward can be
considered trustworthy until all the
sub-topics operate in perfect
harmony.
About A.D.
65, the apostle Peter wrote two
letters to Christian converts
suffering in Asia Minor because of
their life and faith in Jesus. His
first letter is important in this
study because Peter’s choice of
words in Peter 3 and 4 are sometimes
used to support the idea that when
Jesus died on the cross, He went to
Hell and offered salvation to those
who had been there since the days of
Noah. After you read my commentary
below, you may want to read all of 1
Peter 3 and 4 in your own Bible so
that you can consider Peter’s
thoughts without interruption. My
comments are in brackets []:
1
Peter 3: 18-22 “For
Christ died for [your] sins once for
all, the righteous for the
unrighteous, to bring you [near] to
God. He [Jesus] was put to death in
the body but [on the third day He
was] made alive by the [Holy] Spirit
[Romans 8:11], through whom also He
[Jesus] went and preached [for 120
years through His servant Noah –
Genesis 6:3] to the [spirits [the
people who were living then*] in
[a] prison
[of godlessness and rebellion –
see Isaiah 42: 6,7] who disobeyed
[blasphemed the Holy Spirit] long ago
when God waited patiently in the days
of Noah while the ark was being
built. In it only a few people, eight
in all, were saved through [from]
water, and this water [that cleansed
the Earth of rebellion and godless
people] symbolizes baptism that now
saves you also – [I’m
speaking] not [of] the removal of
dirt from the body but [of your faith
and your public affirmation to follow
Jesus and] the pledge of [allegiance
that you made to Jesus, and that of
maintaining] a good conscience toward
God. It [is your submission to
God’s Spirit through faith that]
saves you [and this gift of salvation
has been made possible] by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has
[come out of the tomb and] gone into
Heaven and is at God’s right
hand – with angels, authorities
and powers in submission to Him.
*Note: In
Bible times, the word
“spirit” was used in
different ways. A spirit could be an
invisible demon. (1 Timothy 4:1) A
spirit could be an angel from God.
(Hebrews 1:14) A spirit could be a
human being. (1 Corinthians 14: 32,
Hebrews 12:9) The Greek word for
spirit is pneumas which means wind.
The ancients generally thought of
spirits in two ways. If a spirit had
no body, it was a ghost. (Acts 23:8)
If a spirit had a body, it was human
(or an angel in human form). (Hebrews
13: 2, 2 Corinthian’s 7:13) If
Peter’s expression “spirits
in prison” is understood from
the perspective that Jesus preached
through Noah to the antediluvians,
textual conflict dissolves.
1
Peter 4: 1, 2
“Therefore, since Christ
suffered in his body [from evil
people], arm yourselves also with the
same attitude, because he who has
suffered in his body [from evil
people] is done with sin. As a
result, he does not live the rest of
his earthy life for evil human
desires, but rather for the will of
God.”
1
Peter 4: 3-5 “For you
have spent enough time in the past
doing what pagans choose to do –
living in debauchery, lust,
drunkenness, orgies, carousing and
detestable idolatry. They think it
strange that you do not plunge with
them into the same flood of
dissipation [immoral and careless
living], and they heap abuse on you
[because they hate righteousness].
But they will have to give account to
Him who is ready to judge the living
and the dead.”
1
Peter 4: 6,7 “[Dear
brothers, God is not willing that any
should perish.] For this is the
reason the gospel was preached [among
you and] even to those who are now
[physically alive but spiritually]
dead, so that [upon hearing the
gospel] they might be [awakened and]
judged [condemned within their hearts
by their sins. All of us have sinned]
according to men in regard to the
body, but [men who repent and] live
according to God in regard to the
Spirit [will be saved.] The end of
all things are near. Therefore, be
clear minded and self-controlled so
that you can pray [for God’s
sustaining power and grace every
day].”
Summary:
Does peter mean to say that Jesus
offered people in Hell a second
chance? If so, what sinner would
choose to remain in Hell? If God
wanted to save everyone before the
flood came, why did He close the door
to the ark before it began to rain?
The Bible teaches these is no second
chance for salvation after death.
(Hebrews 3: 7,8; 9: 7, 28) We
determine our eternal destiny in this
life. Again we see that if apparent
conflicts are not properly resolved,
they will put the Bible in a state of
internal conflict. Given the many
sub-topics involved with eternal
reward, Peter’s words can be
resolved. Peter is not advocating the
idea that while His body was resting
in the tomb, Jesus’s spirit went
to Hell and offered evil ghosts (who
had been captives since the days of
Noah) eternal life.
If we read
all of 1 Peter, we find that Peter is
advocating a glorious and powerful
truth. Peter had seen the
manifestation and power of the Holy
Spirit in his own life many times.
Peter saw the Holy Spirit bring a
young man to life (Luke 7), brings
Dorcas to life (Acts 9), and put a
husband and wife to death. (Acts 5)
Therefore, Peter exalted the ministry
of the Holy Spirit in 1 Peter 3 and 4
by reminding readers that (a)
rejecting the Holy Spirit leads to
death – this explains why so few
were saved from Noah’s flood and
(b) the same Holy Spirit that raised
Jesus from the dead can give a
spiritually dead person a new life in
Christ! Peter’s thoughts are
focused on the power and ministry of
the Holy Spirit, and when the choice
of words are put within this
framework, the textual conflict
dissolves.
I would like
to close this discussion on eternally
burning hell with a short
explanation. Last month, we noticed
that Jesus spoke of “eternal
fire” when He said, “If
your hand or your foot causes you to
sin cut if off and throw it away. It
is better for you to enter life
maimed or crippled than to have two
hands or two feet and be thrown into
eternal fire.” (Matthew
18:8) Of course, this text can be
used to support the idea of an
eternally burning hell. The Greek
word in Matthew 18: 8 translated
“eternal” is aionios
which is often translated as
everlasting or eternal. However, the
root word for aionios and aion and it
means an age or period of time which
develops the idea of something being
eternal or everlasting.
With this
information in mind, please consider
Jesus’ words: “Anyone
who speaks a word against the Son of
Man will be forgiven, but anyone who
speaks against the Holy Spirit will
not be forgiven, either in this age
or in the age to come.”
(Matthew 12:31) The Greek word for
“age” is aion and it is
translated “world” in the
KJV.
Given the
nature of the Greek language, I
understand Jesus meant that blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit will not be
forgiven during this period nor the
period to come. At the end of the
1,000 years, the Bible indicates that
fire will fall from the sky and
devour the wicked (Revelation 20: 9)
and they will be reduced to ashes.
(Malachi 4:3) Because the fire will
burn for a period of time to purify
Earth of sin’s curse, aionios is
the appropriate word in Matthew 18:
8. Instead of translating the word to
mean eternal or everlasting fire,
this phrase could be better
translated to mean, “It is
better for you to enter life maimed
or crippled than to have two hands or
two feet and be thrown into the fire
that will annihilate the wicked at
the end of the age.” Of course,
translators are not concerned with
internal conflicts, their work is to
translate each Greek sentence into an
English equivalent. Resolving textual
conflicts is another task altogether,
reserved for Bible students who love
God’s Word.
Apparent
Conflict #3 – Baptism for the
Dead
Does the
Bible teach that one person can be
baptized for another? Mormons believe
this is the case. Please consider the
following quote taken from the
official Mormon website and as you
read, look for the underlying reason:
“Jesus
himself, though without sin, was
baptized to fulfill all righteousness
and to show the way for all mankind
(see Matthew 3: 13-17). Thus, baptism
is essential for salvation in the
kingdom of God. We learn in the New
Testament that baptisms of the dead
were done during the Apostle
Paul’s time (see 1 Corinthians
15:29). This practice has been
restored with the establishment of
the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. The Prophet Joseph
Smith first taught about the
ordinance of baptism for the dead
during a funeral sermon in August
1840. He read much of 1 Corinthians
15, including verse 29, and announced
that the Lord would permit Church
member’s to be baptized in
behalf of their friends and relatives
who had departed this life. He told
them “the plan of salvation was
calculated to save all who were
willing to obey the requirements of
the law of God” (Journal History
of the Church, 15 Aug. 1840).
“Because
all who have lived on the earth have
not had the opportunity to be
baptized by proper authority during
life on earth, baptisms may be
performed by proxy, meaning a living
person may be baptized in behalf of a
deceased person. Baptisms for the
dead are performed by Church members
in temples throughout the world.
People have occasionally wondered if
the mortal remains of the deceased
are somehow disturbed in this
process; they are not. The person
acting as a proxy uses only the name
of the deceased. To prevent
duplication, the Church keeps a
record of the deceased persons who
have been baptized. Some have
misunderstood that when baptisms for
the dead are performed the names of
deceased persons are being added to
the membership records of the Church.
This is not the case.” (Source: http://www.mormon.org/faq/baptism-for-the-dead)
Three
observations: First, Mormons
view baptism as a sacrament instead
of an ordinance. A sacrament is
something required for
salvation, an ordinance is something recommended
for salvation. Because Mormons
believe a person cannot be saved
without baptism, they practice
baptism for the dead. Second, Mormons
recognize that millions of people
have lived and died without any
chance of hearing the gospel of
Jesus. Therefore, they consider it an
act of kindness to serve as baptismal
proxies for people who would not
otherwise be saved. Finally, Mormons
believe that death, the mortal body
is temporarily separated from the
immortal soul.
Notice this
quote: “Death is not the end;
Death is really a beginning –
another step forward in our Heavenly
Father’s plan for His children.
Someday, like everyone else, your
physical body will die. But your
spirit does not die, it goes to the
spirit world, where you will continue
to learn and progress and may be with
loved ones who have passed on. Death
is a necessary step in your
progression, just as your birth was.
Sometime after death, your spirit and
your body will be reunited –
never to be separated again. This is
called resurrection, and it was
possible by the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ (See 1
Corinthian’s 15: 20-22).”
(Source: http://www.mormon.org/faq/topic/death/question/life-after-death)
When Paul
wrote 1 Corinthians (~A.D. 55),
Christianity was about 25 years old.
The believers had hundreds of
unanswered questions and endless
confusion. There were many reports of
miracles, but very little knowledge.
The apostles had their hands full
because Christianity had attracted a
diverse body of people who were
eager, but ignorant, excited, but
frustrated with endless conflict. The
New Testament had not been written so
Christian doctrine was up for grabs.
Some converts in Corinth had been
Pharisees and others had been
Sadducees. When they joined the
church, they brought their religious
baggage with them. This explains why
some converts were conducting proxy
baptisms. As former Pharisees, they
believed among other things (like
circumcision), that baptism was
required for eternal life. On the
other hand, many of those converts
who had been Sadducees still denied
there was a resurrection.
Paul wrote
chapter 15 to specifically clear any
questions about the death and
resurrection of the saints. If you
understand the setting in Corinth,
that Paul is actually pitting
Pharisee against Sadducee converts in
1 Corinthians, huis style and
explanation of things will make you
smile. First, he takes on the
Sadducees:
“For
if the dead are not raised, then
Christ has not been raised either.
And if Christ has not been raised,
your faith is futile; you are still
in your sins. Then those also who
have fallen asleep in Christ are
lost. If only for this life we have
hope in Christ, we are to be pitied
more than all men. But Christ has
indeed been raised from the dead, [He
is] the first fruits of those
who have fallen asleep. For since
death came through a man, the
resurrection of the dead comes also
through a man. For as in Adam all
die, so in Christ all will be made
alive. But will those do who are
baptized for the dead? If the dead
are not raised at all, why are people
baptized for them?” (1
Corinthians 15:29)
Paul does not
advocate baptism for the dead. He
simply highlights the conflict
between Pharisees and Sadducees
because both sides are advocating
positions that do not belong within
Christianity. Paul does not validate
baptism for the dead in any of his
writings because the whole idea is
contrary to the way that God saves
individuals. One man cannot be
circumcised for another man.
Likewise, one man’s faith cannot
save another or one man’s sins
condemn another. God has not
overlooked the salvation of millions
of people who never heard the gospel
of Jesus. (John 10:16; Romans 2:
14-16)
One
more point: The believers in
Corinth were curious and confused
about the nature of the body that
would be given to the saints at the
resurrection. Therefore, Paul wrote:
“But someone may ask,
‘How are the dead raised? With
what kind of body will they come
[out of the grave]?’ How
foolish! What you sow does not come
to life unless it dies. When you sow,
you do not plant the body that will
be, but just as a seed, perhaps wheat
or of something else. But God gives
it a body as He has determined, and
to each kind of seed He gives its own
body.
All
flesh is not the same: Men have one
kind of flesh, animals have another,
birds another and fish another. There
are heavenly bodies [Sun,
moon, stars] and there are
earthy bodies [trees,
mountains, and fields]; but
the splendor of the heavenly bodies
is one kind, and the splendor of the
earthy bodies is another.
The
Son has one kind of splendor, the
moon another and the stars another;
and stars differ from star in
splendor. So will it be with the
resurrection of the dead. The body
that is sown perishable [the
body dies returns to dust, later], it
is raised imperishable [a body made
for everlasting life]; it is
sown dishonor [our bodies
are cursed by the ravages of sin], it
is raised in glory [free
from sin’s curse], it is
sown in weakness [subject to
sickness], it is raised in power
[free from sickness and deformity],
it is sown a natural body, it is
raised a spiritual body [not
the body of a ghost, but a glorified
body, like the body that Jesus was
given at His resurrection*]. If
there is a natural body, there is a
spiritual body.” (1
Corinthians 15: 35-44)
*Note:
Jesus is called the first
fruits of the dead because He is an
example of what we will be after we
are resurrected or translated. (1
John 3: 2)
The saints
will know each other (1 Corinthians
13:12) and have physical bodies in
Heaven, just like Adam and Eve did
before the fall.
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